Chrono Trigger Prophecies Chapter 27
Prophecies Converging
By Jerm
Magus, Vili sent out his thoughts, finding contact with the other, It is almost time.
There was a moment's pause as Magus gathered his thoughts, and then a reply came, Then we will switch now?
Yes, Vili responded, but make sure Janus is not suspicious.
And when do I summon the beast, the destroyer?
The incantations will begin tomorrow...on the anniversary.
Anniversary? Magus was confused, What anniversary?
Vili smiled, Tomorrow is the long followed date of Lavos' rising. On tomorrow's date, thousands of years ago, Lavos was called by a zealous queen, Vili smiled again at the pun, then continued, On tomorrow's date, millions of years ago, Lavos came to this world. On tomorrow's date, five years ago, you yourself first attempted to call Lavos. On tomorrow's date, a thousand years away, Lavos rose to destroy the world...and failed. You see, a tradition must be kept.
Very well. was the only reply.
Then let us assume our original roles.
Janus continued to trudge forward, no longer caring about the time. It had been days now, he was sure of that. However, he no longer cared. There were two possibilities that he could think of. Either Vili was still on Magus' side and was merely leading Janus around to stall, or Vili was on Janus' side and merely waiting for Magus to return to the ether of the host's mind. Before he could ponder more, however, the figure walking before him faded into the darkness, disappearing.
"Vili?" Janus asked, stopping in his tracks to look around.
Darkness, nothing but the black emptiness was around him. He was once again alone. Janus began walking again, angrily scouting his surroundings for a possible hint to where the other had gone. But he could find nothing. Utterly alone.
"What are you doing, Janus?" a voice issued from behind him, "I said to follow me."
Janus spun to face the incognito figure once more, Vili. He was about to make a sharp reply, but decided at the last moment to keep it in check. There would be time for ranting later. Janus sighed, and took step behind Vili once more.
"Good...good..." Vili stated, walking once more into the infinite darkness, Janus trailing unhappily behind him, "We're almost there."
"So we let him get away, again?!" Lucca was not very happy about the news she had just recieved, "How?"
They were walking quickly southwards, nearing the bridge that would take them to the southern continent. And from there they would have to take the underground caves to Magus' isle. It was a long trip, they wouldn't reach their destination until the next day.
"Don't yell at us, we couldn't have stopped him if we had wanted to," Crono retorted, "He incapacitated Marle first thing, without her, we're defenseless."
Lucca turned to Marle, who meekly shrugged. She gave off a short sigh, then went back to Crono, "Fine, nothing we could have done."
"What I want to know is how he could wake up that quick," Crono continued, "He should have been under for a good six more hours at least."
"You're right on that part," Lucca agreed, turning back to Marle, "Do you know anything that might have made the spell faulty? Anything at all?"
Marle shook her head, slightly offended by the phrasing of her magic as faulty, "No, it was working just as it did before."
"Maybe excessive use weakened it?" Crono hinted.
"She's only used it three times," Lucca retorted, shooting down his idea.
"Four," Marle added helpfully.
"Whatever," Lucca shrugged, "Maybe he's building a resistance to it..."
"Can you do that?" Crono asked, not taking the assumption at face value.
"I have no idea," Lucca shook her head, "But it's a possibility."
"I hate this," Crono suddenly spoke up, "We don't know what's going on, why it's going on, or when something else is going to go on. Why can't we have a nice simple adventure like last time, why does it have to get so complicated?"
"You should just be thankful that it hasn't gotten any more complicated Crono," Lucca added, "I have this big sense that we're getting deep into something more than just a power struggle of minds."
"Wait," Glenn said suddenly, deep in thought.
The three turned to face the frog, waiting for his input, when he had their attention, he continued, "'Like last time,' as Crono said. Does any other of you realize that tomorrow twould be the five year anniversary of that final battle with Lavos?"
Crono merely nodded slowly, "Well that's great. Motives. Guess it just got more complicated."
"We're there," Vili said finally, stopping his walk to turn to Janus.
To Janus, it was still just the blackness, the same as the rest of the mind they had travelled over the days. Untrusting of the thing before him, he began to carefully look about for possible traps. Looking for things to jump out of the darkness at him or haunt his thoughts.
"You'll find that this is fully legitimate, Janus," Vili said, breaking his concentration, "No need to be so wary. Magus will be returning shortly."
"How shortly?" Janus was unimpressed by the assurance.
"Several hours," Vili responded, "A short time compared to what it took to get here."
"Surely," Janus agreed with a mocking tone, then he dropped the tone and shot out a question, "Why, Vili?"
"Huh?" the other asked, not understanding the question.
"You turn against Magus just like that, what's the reason?"
Vili backed away, the darkness swallowing him, "I have never backed out of a deal. You will get what you wish, that should be enough for you. Me, I'll get what I want, too, but it should hardly concern you. Be happy in your earnings and mock not the agendas of those who give you such tribute."
"In other words: Take it and shut up," Janus translated.
"You are being too crude," the voice replied, "I am simply making an offer. True, there is much to gain for both of us. I wouldn't do it if it didn't affect me. Do you accept?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Certainly, but at least accepting this proposal leaves you will a forseeable gain. Declining puts you in the darkness once again," Vili stated the choices, "And if you turn back now there is no returning."
Vili sounded out a conclusion, "A chance to remove Magus, or the darkness and the unknown. Which is it?"
"Ack, it's high noon and there's still barely any sunlight," Crono complained as they stepped through the forest that was laid out before a great castle.
The anniversary was upon them now, it had taken just under eighteen hours to reach the cave, and three more to traverse it. It seemed like they were too late, however they kept their hope up by remembering that if they were too late, Lavos would make sure they knew about it. Still, it was not a happy prospect.
"Y'know," Lucca spoke up, "I still don't understand something...Why didn't he kill you?"
"What?" Crono was using his sarcasm, "Would you have rathered that he did?"
"Crono," Marle cut him off with a warning tone, "She's right."
"Sorry," he muttered sincerely, "but why ask us? Magus's the one with the 'guide on how to raise monsters and destroy the world' with him."
"Habit," Lucca explained, "I like to ask the unanswerable."
"Sounds like a waste of time..."
"Oh, it is," Lucca agreed, "that's why I call it a habit."
"Back on topic," Marle cut in again, "Maybe he's only concerned with raising Lavos, our deaths aren't part of that."
"He'd still have to make sure we don't follow him and hinder his plans," Crono shot down her idea.
"Which we're doing right now," Lucca added, "Or maybe Janus is still holding on to a bit of control, enough to force him to divert his 'death-blow.'"
Crono shook his head and stepped around a dead tree, stumbling on the root, "I still don't understand that Magus/Janus stuff. You're acting as if it's two people in one body."
Lucca sighed, "Um, Crono? That's exactly what I've been saying!"
"How did that happen?" Marle asked, as Crono was silenced with a hurt expression.
Lucca shrugged, "I don't know, I guess that's something else we can ask Magus."
They reached the outskirts of the wasted forest and stepped into a dismal clearing. The grey overhead shined even brighter without the trees blocking, though it wasn't very noticable. The castle stood before them, jutting itself into the dreary sky. The group stopped for a moment, gathering their courage. Then they resumed movement.
"Yeah," Crono agreed, "Let's go ask him."
.